The Ruger Mini in the photo is mid 2000’s vintage (580 series but still with the pencil barrel). Who knows if the M14 is a legit M14 aid gun or a commercial gun they picked up. As I recall during the 1990s most of their armed forces were still carrying M1 Garands still. So an M14 and Mini seem to be logical guns to add to the mix. We can all laugh at the guy rocking the 14 without the front sight but I recall a fairly well circulated photo of a Marine using his in Nam who was also without the front sight. As a M14 pattern rifle shooter for years, it’s pretty easy to see how this can happen if the rifle isn’t maintained carefully. I also wouldn’t want to be down range of either rifle.
Not sure what these dudes rolls in their nations service are but honestly I’m looking at them an kind of feeling for them. They get what their are given and probably get crap training but they are in the fray doing their job. I’m typing right now from a former Combloc country and have been paying attention to what the local cops and soldiers are carrying and it’s a total mismatch of nylon and shiny leather crap. Only “serious” holster I have seen so far was a Bianchi M12 holster. It’s not that these guys are stupid, it’s just the people in charge of them don’t give a crap about them.
We really have it good here.
If either of those guns were given to them under an aid package, it was a long, long time ago. Our aid packages for failed/faltering governments within the last decade generally include logistical support/training for maintenance, so you shouldn't have missing front sights. The Haitian military was only recently restarted after a 20+ year hiatus. I haven't kept up on Haiti since 2018 and was only mildly exposed to their situation, but I remember something about their new military being unarmed at the time. In any case whether they're Haitian National Police or the new military now armed (if so), those aren't guns we would've been handing out in any recent memory.
"Are you ready? Okay. Let's roll."- Last words of Todd Beamer
I have been watching all this with some interest. They have some pretty old stuff still being fielded. There are a lot of T65's, variations of A1's, Galil's and many others.
It is pretty interesting to see what is still out there. We here in the US are pretty spoiled when it comes to the latest and the greatest.
It is a good reminder that a solid rifle will last a long time.